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Course Ultra Tour 2017

? Ultra Tour : Modification of the course ?

Following a weather alert, signaling gusts of wind of 95-100 km/h expected for this night at the Spanish border in the sector Baysellance, zone of passage for the runners of the Ultra Tour we have decided to modify the course to ensure the safety of the trailers.

The time to make arrangements to mark the new course and open the bases lives Luz and Barèges, it was decided to neutralize the runners in Cauterets until 2 o’clock in the morning (for now, at midnight past, only 4 runners arrived on the spot) and then to make them leave towards Luz by the GR10 + col de Riou. The first riders of the Ultra Tour should therefore arrive (roughly) for 5 am in Luz, 7 am in Barèges and 2 pm in Vielle-Aure, final finish of the race.

➡ The Ultra Tour runs for 183 km and no longer passes to the shelter of Estom, the shelter of Baysellance, Gavarnie and Gèdre.⬅

Modifications 2017 for the Ultra Tour :

New course of the Ultra which passes from 160 to 220 km and becomes the Ultra TourIt takes the usual route of the Ultra until Cauterets except a detour by Estaing then joins the course of the Tour of the Circuses passing by the massif of VignemaleThe return to Luz is made by the shelter of Glere, then the lakes of Aumar, Aubert and Orédon

Attention: the course has many parts on a mountain trail where it is not easy to run, especially in the Neouvielle area

Program

Wednesday, August 23

15:00 – 21:00: Removing the bibs and checking the bags of the Ultra Tour 220 km (Marquee of the race) – Partner Village

17:00 – 21:00: Removal of the Ultra Tour service bags (Préau Ecole)

18:00: Ultra Tour Briefing

18:30 – 20:30: Pasta Party

Thursday 24 August

06:00: departure of the Ultra Tour from the center of Vielle Aure (Tourist Office)

Friday, August 25

18:00: arrivals of the first of the Ultra Tour in the center of Vielle Aure

All night: arrivals of the riders of the Ultra Tour in the center of Vielle Aure

Saturday, August 26

16:00: Return of the bags base life Ultra Tour

All day and all night: arrivals of Ultra Tour riders

Sunday, August 27

06:00: Arrival of the last Finishers Ultra Tour

10:00: End of recovery of the base-life bags

10:00 – 12:00: Presentation of the awards (Place de Vielle-Aure)

12:15: Buffet closing of the Grand Raid of the Pyrenees in the presence of all partners and volunteers (Marquee of the race)

Same as Pierrefitte, Cauterets, Gavarnie, Luz Saint Sauveur with pasta and compotes.

At the refuges of Ilhéou, Estom, Baysellance and la Glère: sausage, dried fruit, salt cakes, cakes, plain water, soupIt is possible to transport goods and supplies to Pierrefitte, Cauterets and Luz Saint Sauveur. These bags must be handed over to the organization before 8pm on Wednesday. They will be brought back on arrival on Saturday in the late afternoon.

Course

The departure will be given on Thursday at 6 am from Vielle Aure. The runners will climb by roads and then ski slopes at the Col du Portet. They will then switch to the sector of Neouvielle to join by the Col de Bastanet the shelter of Campana of the Cloutou then the station of the Mongie. Then climb towards the Col de Sencours, at the Pic du Midi, return to the Col de Sencours before linking the passes of Bonida, Aoube, Bareilles and Ouscouaou to reach Hautacam. Descent to Pierrefitte where the first life base is located.

A very long climb leads to the Turon de Bene from where you descend to Estaing then back to the Col d’Ilhéou before switching to Cauterets via the shelter of Ilhéou. Second life base in Cauterets.

A long ascent through the valley of the Fruitière leads to the shelter of Estom then the Col d’Arraillé which allows to tilt in front of the north face of the Vignemale and to join the Hourquette of Ossoue and the mythical shelter Baysellance. A long descent leads to Gavarnie and the Tour des Cirques.

From the village of Gavarnie, a section alternating climbs and descents in forests and forests makes us join Gèdre then Saint Sauveur where we find the third Luz base life. We climb then quietly above Barèges then the shelter of Glere to pass the Hourquette Mounicot and the Col d’Estoudou and join the Col de Portet which brings back to Vielle Aure.

The best ones could take less than 35 hours while the time barrier is set so that the latter end in 72 hours.